Delta 2019 – Okowa Set to Distabilize UPU Through Chief Joe Omene

Delta 2019 – Okowa Set to Distabilize UPU Through Chief Joe Omene

In the twilight towards the preparation of the 2015 general election, everyone always had the belief that the Urhobo apex union, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) was out to show the world that they can no longer play a second fiddle to any tribe in Delta State.

When Late Gen. Patrick Aziza was the President of the Urhobo Progress Union everyone knew that as a former Army General he cannot be easily bought over, as he will look you boldly in the face and call your bluff, no matter how highly politically placed you are. His reign as the President of the Union gave the then Governor Uduaghan sleepless night , knowing that with him in the saddle, his ill-gotten wealth cannot be used to bribe him.

And so by sheer Providence when Late Gen. Patrick Aziza died and went to be with his creator it was highly believed that he will give spiritual guidance to the aspirations of the Urhobos. Though at that instant most of us knew that the game was up, as the UPU will now be sold to the highest bidder. So when the like of the then PG, Joe Omene came on board he played to the gallery by disowning some prominent Urhobos like Chief Ighoyota Amori, Ben Igbakpa, Olori Magege, Hon. Monday Igbuya and Jaro Egbo for daring to pitch their tent with an Anioma candidate in the person of Sir Anthony Chuks Obuh. He cunningly insisted on Owviamuge declaration and ordered their likes out of Urhobo gathering until they come to their senses that the Uvwiamuge declaration is obeyed to the last letter.

Though his actions then was in line with the spirit of Owviamuge declaration most of us who studied Omene from a far distance knew he was not sincere and has just begun his dance of shame, haven being a secret betrayal looking for money to oil his dwindling fortune. While the likes of Amori, Jaro Egbo, Igbakpa and Evelyn Oboro saw the need to beg’ the overrated Omene led UPU, the duo of Igbuya and Magege called their bluff, an action I believed others should have also done.

Despite their so called threat, Igbuya and Evelyn Oboro still won the primaries in an Urhobo land!. This was enough to tell the world that Omene and his co travelers of doom were only acting tough without actions, to back it up. I long gave up on UPU when Omene assumed the office of the President General because we knew he lacks integrity due to the fact that he has no sustainable means of livelihood.

Today it is crystal clear that what many of us foresaw in UPU led by Omene has come to pass. What transpired in the political arena after then proved our suspicion right, when the news that Chief Joe Omene had been bribed with the alleged sum of $1 Million to select David Edevbie as the sole Urhobo candidate, they called the news outlet a lying whistle medium, but they have been proven right by the announcement of Edevbie as the choice of the Urhobo nation. What they don’t realize is that some people are aware and have been part of all their secret meetings and such has first hand information of all their plans.

The appointment of Edevbie by the so called screening committee is not only immoral but unethical.

When the initial list was then sent by the UPU, it was just Obaisi Ovie Omo-Agege and Paulinus Akpeki who made it. Edevbie name only got inside after much lobby. How then did a man who lobbied to have his name in the first list suddenly become the sole choice of the UPU? Urhobos must begin to know that the real enemies we have then is the UPU and not the Amoris or Igbuyas, or were these people part of UPU leadership?

Like some observers who argued that the list was not an Urhobo list but an Uduaghan own and thus MUST be rejected by all well meaning Urhobos in Nigeria and in Diaspora. Omene should come before the shrines of Urhobo land and swear that he never went to Uduaghan house in Warri at about 11.00am Nigerian time where he met Solomon Funkemeke, Ayiri Emami and the SSG, Ovuzuorie Macaulay where he presented the sealed envelope bearing Edevbie name to the governor. He should swear before the gods that Uduaghan never said, “Have you gotten a candidate? Na Edevbie I wan work with o”. I dare him to take this challenge. I also dare him to deny that he was not bribed by the Governor, and I will also swear by the God I serve if what I write is false.

The silent killer of the Urhobo is Omene and his corrupt musketeers. let Omene swear by whatever Juju he serves that he never rejoiced inwardly when Aziza died

It was normal that Chief Joe Omene will take over the mantle of leadership and it was so. Haven taken over, he was on a great match towards the kingdom set for him but as man, the gods are not to blame. Furthermore the 2015 presidential elections became the litmus test for Joe Omene and his executives but like students that did not prepare for an examinations, the Urhobo nation was taken aback on the level of scandals and impunity that has rocked the Urhobo body. The executives was the first casualty as its decisions on Ogboru and Emerho threw itself into an open fire. To make it worst for the entire executives, the Urhobo nation threw away the two candidates and voted Senator Okowa during the 2015 general elections as the governor of the state. This was an indication that the end was in sight for the Executives but like George Orwell in his famous book, ‘’The Animal Farm’’, the Urhobo nation is always right and his children will work harder. The Urhobo traditional rulers having detailed the entire scenario decided to dissolve the Omene led executives but this could not resolve the crises as Mr. Ofotuku who was appointed the chairman of the caretaker committee was himself not acceptable to the Urhobo people. The entire Urhobo nation agreed that Omene should serve his term and quit by the end of December 2016 but as man, being a political animal he his, Omene has another card on his chest.

When it became clear that urhobos do not want him again he secretly in connivance with his cronies conducted a kangaroo election in his compound without the knowledge of the entire leadership of the Urhobo nation.

All entreaties to him by well-meaning Urhobos to stay away to allow for peace fell on deaf ears. The Urhobo nation became a laughing stock in the comity of nationalities. The Urhobos were then largely seen as people that cannot even put their own house in order. It reaches a crescendo that the life of every Urhobo man is in the hands of this Mosogar Chief.

It is a fact that when a man is pushed to the walls he must fight back and so the entire Urhobo nations decided to say enough is enough to Joe Omene. The plan to remove him from his self-tangle began on the Christmas Day and it was well executed that every ant closer to Omene was shut out of the discussion. First was the contestants led by Chief Taiga and others. The next was the entire President General of the Urhobos including those outside the country. It is true that those the devil wants to kill it first made mad. In spite of the fact that it was no longer convenience for Omone to preside over the affairs of the body, his heart was hardened like the Biblical Pharaoh who led his people to drown in the red sea. Since the Urhobos are tired of staying in Egypt and are ready to return home with peace the body of Urhobo Traditional Rulers was immediately contacted to endorse the entire plan which they did with great joy. The election was then fixed for 2nd January 2017 and Chief Joe Omene and others interested in the elective positions were contacted by the electoral committee to report for the election as there was no room for postponement.

On the day of the election, the road to the cultural center at Uvwiamuge was like an Olympic carnival, an indication that the people are ready for the election. After the welcome address by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the electoral body took over the conduct of the election and Chief Taiga was declared the winner and President General of the Urhobo Progress Union including all other executives. The officers were immediately sworn in by Chief Justice Dugbo, an Urhobo erudite jurnation,Omene never accepted this and has sworn to fight against the Urhobo nation, like the proverb goes, “those the gods wants to kill he first made mad”, whistle blowers gathered from reliable source that Omene has sworn to destroy the Urhobo nation by every means possible and has formed a path with the Senator Okowa led administration to cause crisis and ensure the Ovwiamuge declaration never comes to fruition.
Recently Omene took a full page in some local and national papers to debunk the claim of Olorogun Taiga as the authentic President general while claiming to be the authentic leader of the Urhobo nation, this confusion is a well tailored and sponsored arrangement between himself and the present government to cause disunity In Urhobo land after his unsuccessful attempt to bribe Olorogun Moses Taiga with huge sums of money was rebuffed. to me, the thing that is worse than death is betrayal. You see, I could conceive death, but I could not conceive betrayal.”
Malcolm X

The question is that Omene has no sustainable means of livelihood, who then is bankrolling this publications he dish out on national newspapers on a daily basis. The truth is that Omene Omene has been penciled down by the Okowa led administration to cause confusion in Urhobo nation so that the spirit of the Ovwiamuge declaration will not see the light of day

It would be noted that during Omene reign as President general there was nothing he could influence to Urhobo land,our children have the highest number of Okada riders despite the Presence of Delta glass, ATP, Delta steel and host of other companies in Urhobo land, Omene never did anything to see to its resuscitation. It is time for the Urhobo nation to do everything within its power to stop this constant betrayal by Chief Joe Omene.